I went out Monday morning to Martinez Canyon just to do some exploring and enjoy the day off. Didn't plan on doing anything crazy, because I was by myself and had the dog in the back of the Jeep. That plan lasted about 10 minutes though. Right up to the point of the first obstacle on the woodpecker mine trail and I just had to try it out. This was one of the coolest trails I have ever done. I just kept coming up to the next obstacle and had to give it a go. Didn't do the fire hole but even some the by-pass obstacles were cool. By the time i knew it I was half way through the trail and at that point I just figured I might as well finish it. I don't think this is the same trail as the lower and upper woodpecker so it is not as extreme but it is a great 2 - 3 hour short trail that will take care of that 4-low, locked up, rock crawling fix we all need at times. The last main obstacle of the trail had this rock v-notch you had to go through, that one really got the adrenaline going. Sorry, no pics though. Alone and All (I know, I know). Trying to find my way back around to the beginning of the trail was a little interesting but all in all it was pretty easy to follow. I made it through by myself but i probably won't be doing that again so if anyone wants to go check it out let me know and i would gladly go out again.

Sounds like a GREAT time! Thanks for sharing.

(you aren't going to get a lot of grief from this crew about going out alone... just tell people where you are going and we assume you are a grown up with safety gear... you should see how the Moab Ninja rides on Jeeps... yikes! 8| )

If you saw Firehole and V-notch you were on Upper.
Buy you know the rules: Pics or it didn't happen ;)

What you were on was actually Upper Woodpecker. It is a pretty easy trail to run thru fairly quickly. Just make sure you bust to the right at the end so that you don't end up on Highway 2 Hell. :lol: You sure did get yourself a long way away from martinez though.

It’s good to know I won’t get much grief from going alone because I actually do it a lot. I have more free time during the week with my job than I do on the weekends, so I usually go out when everyone else is working. Also, in the past I really haven’t had anybody anyone that really is one, as committed to going out (wakening up at 4:30am on a holiday off) as I am and two; can really keep up. Most of my friends just have stock 4x4’s and could never do anything like this trail. But I definitely always let someone know where I’m heading and take my gear with me. I have had plenty those stranded in the dessert experiences to get those basic’s down.

I wondered if I was on one of those trails. From what I heard I just thought it would have been more extreme. Is the lower a lot harder? I will have to take a look at that one next time. There are just so many trails out there, half the time I don’t know where I am. Even with all my off-road books. Would like to get a GPS for when I’m out there. The statue for Highway to Hell made me laugh. I guess it gives you an idea of what’s to come. The fire hole was crazy. It would be cool to see someone do that! I also ended up on Axle Alley once when I was out there. That waterfall is ridicules and some of those boulders looked bigger than my jeep!

jstaffeldt wrote:I wondered if I was on one of those trails. From what I heard I just thought it would have been more extreme. Is the lower a lot harder? I will have to take a look at that one next time. There are just so many trails out there, half the time I don’t know where I am. Even with all my off-road books. Would like to get a GPS for when I’m out there. The statue for Highway to Hell made me laugh. I guess it gives you an idea of what’s to come. The fire hole was crazy. It would be cool to see someone do that! I also ended up on Axle Alley once when I was out there. That waterfall is ridicules and some of those boulders looked bigger than my jeep!

Lower can definitely be harder than upper is. However if you actually do the trail then upper can be a little challenging. :lol: You should see someone go down firehole. That is definitely an azz puckering moment.

H2H will blow parts up like nobody's business. AA is worse though. I have personally donated a few axle shafts to that trail. And a ball joint once and part of a knuckle. :rockon:

Dozzer,

I can't wait to try Axle Alley someday. I bet it must takes a lot to break a knuckle. Did i read some where that you are also a rep for the AZVJ club? Great Group.

jstaffeldt wrote:Dozzer,

I can't wait to try Axle Alley someday. I bet it must takes a lot to break a knuckle. Did i read some where that you are also a rep for the AZVJ club? Great Group.

Yeah, it does. :D

I own www.azvirtualjeepclub.com. I am also the 4x4 Rep for the AZOHVC as well as a member of the AZ Rock Rats. I guess I get around. :lol:

I've spent some time on that site. Haven't posted much but I've read a lot. Got a lot of knowledgeable people on there.

The first time I came up to the waterfall on AA I vowed to someday build a Jeep that could make it up that wall. My thought process was something like a stretched YJ on at least 42's, maybe with some crazy portal axles to keep the center of gravity low and just to be different! That's the plan anyways!

jstaffeldt wrote:I've spent some time on that site. Haven't posted much but I've read a lot. Got a lot of knowledgeable people on there.

The first time I came up to the waterfall on AA I vowed to someday build a Jeep that could make it up that wall. My thought process was something like a stretched YJ on at least 42's, maybe with some crazy portal axles to keep the center of gravity low and just to be different! That's the plan anyways!

Thanks, we like to think that we have a great group of actual wheelers.

When I was on a stock wheelbase rig I had a list of waterfalls that I always had to winch up. There were about 5 of them. Then I went to 104" wheelbase and started knocking off those falls. The one on AA got progessively worse with all of the monsoons last year and I still haven't hit that one. You almost have to be 110" and have no fear to smash that one now days.